Tài liệu Toefl exam success in only 6 step part 10 pdf

Example 1: Planet of the Apes Example 2: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Example 3: AI Conclusion: Concluding Statement: As illustrated by my examples, I prefer movies that entertain me a

to present those reasons is by rank Organize ideas from the least important to the most important reason, from the least compelling to the most compelling example

Order of importance is the structure writers most often use when they are developing an argument And that’s essentially what your TOEFL essay will be: a brief argument expressing and explaining your opinion The least-to-most important structure works well in arguments because it creates a “snowball” effect Each idea builds upon the ones that came before it And when you save your best (strongest) idea for last, your con-clusion will have more impact

Notice, for example, how we might organize the support for the movie essay brainstorming above:

Introduction: I prefer movies that do both

Thesis: To me, a good movie is one that both entertains me and makes me think

Body:

Reason 1: I don’t like to feel like I’ve wasted time

Reason 2: I like getting lost in another world for two hours

Reason 3: I like having something new or interesting to think about

Example 1: Planet of the Apes

Example 2: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Example 3: AI

Conclusion:

Concluding Statement: As illustrated by my examples, I prefer movies that entertain me and

make me think

Here, the most important reason and the most compelling example come third in each list

S TRONG S UPPORTING P ARAGRAPHS

Outlining your ideas not only sets up an effective organization It can also show you if your essay is sufficiently

developed For an essay to be effective, each paragraph needs to be effective, too And that means each

para-graph needs to be sufficiently developed.

While there is no magic formula, there are some general guidelines regarding paragraph length A para-graph with just one sentence—unless that sentence is specifically set off to create a special effect—is too short

It doesn’t sufficiently develop its idea A paragraph with ten sentences, on the other hand, is probably too long There’s likely to be more than one idea developed in that paragraph (Remember, a paragraph, by definition,

is a group of sentences about the same idea.) For an essay of this type, paragraphs of three or four sentences each should be enough to explain and provide specific details and examples for each of your supporting ideas

To help develop your paragraphs, expand your outline For each main supporting idea, list at least one specific detail or example Imagine each paragraph as a mini-essay, with its own thesis (topic sentence) and support (specific examples and details) Notice how the outline above can be expanded as follows:

Thesis: To me, a good movie is one that both entertains me and makes me think

Body:

Reason 1: I don’t like to feel like I’ve wasted time

Example: Movies like Rat Race or Home Alone: funny, but empty, lots of dumb jokes

Reason 2: I like getting lost in another world for two hours

Detail: This is what I mean by entertaining—not necessarily funny, but captivating

Example: All three movies below do this—create a new world to explore (planet where apes

rule, 18th c? China, the future) Reason 3: I like having something new or interesting to think about

Example: All three movies ask interesting and important questions:

Planet: What if apes ruled over humans? Why do we treat animals the way we do?

Crouching Tiger: What does it mean to be a woman and to have others define roles for you?

AI: What makes us human? Can a robot be human if it develops feelings? What does this

mean for our future?

Conclusion:

As illustrated by the movies I have discussed, I enjoy movies that not only entertain me for a

couple of hours, but that also make me think about the issues raised after I have finished my

popcorn and gone home

Notice now how clearly the order of importance organizational pattern stands out, especially in the last section And because this outline is so detailed, it offers a guide for just about every sentence in the body of the essay

Practice 3

Create a detailed outline for one of the prompts for which you brainstormed support You will find the Answer Key in Appendix A

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Step 5: Write Your Essay

Now that you have a clear, detailed outline, you can begin to write If you can quickly think of a catchy way

to begin your essay, terrific If not, don’t spend precious minutes trying to come up with the perfect opening line You don’t have the time Remember, you only have 30 minutes for the whole essay—planning, writing, and editing You need to start writing as soon as you organize your thoughts One good way to jump right

in is to paraphrase (repeat in your own words) the statement/situation/opposites stated in the prompt and

then state your thesis Here’s an example of this kind of introduction:

Some people prefer movies that entertain them Others prefer films that make them think In

my opinion, the best kind of movie is one that does both I like movies that are entertaining and serious at the same time

Your introduction should be clear and direct so readers know your thesis and focus It can also outline your essay by indicating the structure of your essay, as in the following example:

Today, it’s much easier to communicate with others than it was just a decade ago We can send

and receive messages instantly with a number of new technologies This has improved our lives

in many ways by making it easier to coordinate and accomplish tasks, helping families keep

better track of their children, and enabling a wider range of people to exchange information

and ideas

Notice how this introduction outlines the three main topics that will be developed in the body of the essay: How new communication technologies (1) make it easier to coordinate and accomplish tasks, (2) help families keep better track of their children, and (3) enable a wider range of people to exchange information and ideas

Once you have written your introduction, write the body of your essay paragraph by paragraph, fol-lowing your outline Make sure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and specific support Don’t forget

about transitions between paragraphs Key words and phrases like more importantly, similarly, etc help guide

your reader through your argument (See Chapter 2: Reading Comprehension to review transitional words and phrases.)

After your supporting paragraphs, write a brief conclusion Restate your thesis, but not in exactly the

same words Don’t introduce any new topics Instead, make readers feel as if you have covered your topic

thor-oughly and that they’ve gotten something meaningful from reading your essay Here’s an example:

I know I can find plenty of movies that will entertain me, but that alone is not enough Give me

a film that entertains me and makes me think Any movie can entertain me with a zany adven-ture, a futuristic fantasy, or an endearing romance But only a good movie will also challenge me

to think about an important issue

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Step 6: Proofread Carefully

In the three-step writing process, the third step is revise and edit What exactly is the difference between revis-ing and editrevis-ing, anyway?

To revise means to carefully read over your essay and make changes to improve it Revising focuses on improving the content (what you say) and style (how you say it) In other words, when you revise, you

con-centrate on the “big picture”: your ideas and how you organize and present them in your essay Editing, on

the other hand, deals with grammar (correct sentences), mechanics (correct spelling, capitalization, and punc-tuation), and usage (correct use of idioms).

Editing, of course, is very important; your writing should be as clear and correct as possible But as a general rule, it doesn’t make much sense to carefully proofread each sentence only to realize that you need

to rewrite several paragraphs

However—and this is a big “however”—the guidelines are a little different on a timed essay exam, espe-cially when the time is so short Because your time is so limited, revising—making sure you have a clear the-sis that addresses the writing prompt, sufficient and relevant support, and logical organization—should

actually take place before you write, when you are outlining your essay You don’t have time to rewrite

para-graphs or add new ones But you will probably have a few minutes to change word order, adjust word choice, and correct grammatical and mechanical mistakes And this final “polishing” step can help make your ideas come across much more clearly for your readers

Practice 4

Now it’s time to practice writing an essay for the TOEFL exam, start to finish When you are ready, turn the page to see your writing prompt Give yourself exactly 30 minutes to plan, write, and proofread your essay Have a piece of scrap paper to brainstorm ideas and outline your essay

The answer section in Appendix A will provide you with a sample essay for each score 1–6

Write well!

Practice TOEFL Writing Prompt

Note: Unlike the other prompts in this chapter, this prompt was not taken from the list of possible TOEFL computer-based test essay topics

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Good things come to those who wait, but better

things come to those who go out and get them Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

You will find the Answer Key in Appendix A

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AT T H I S P O I N T, you have reviewed the basic skills you need for the TOEFL exam, you know

what to expect from each section of the exam, and you know how to effectively prepare for the test Now it’s time to cover a few important administrative matters

 H o w t o R e g i s t e r f o r t h e T O E F L E x a m

Registering for the TOEFL exam is a relatively easy process There are two ways to schedule a test date in the United States, Canada, and U.S territories:

1 Call 1-800-468-6335 You can use a credit card for payment.

2 Fill out the registration form in the Information Bulletin for Supplemental TOEFL® Administrations for the paper-based exam or the TOEFL® CBT Information Bulletin for the computer-based exam Mail

your completed registration form to the Educational Testing Service® (ETS®) at the following address:

Exam: Registration, the Computer-Based Test, Scores, and Tips for Test Day

In this chapter, you will find out how to register for the TOEFL exam and receive and report your score You will also learn more about the difference between the computer-based and the paper-based exams

as well as test center rules and regulations

6

Educational Testing Service

P.O Box 6159

Princeton, NJ 08541-6159

USA

To schedule a test date elsewhere, call the Regional Registration Center (RRC) for your area or

coun-try A list of RRCs is printed in the TOEFL® CBT Bulletin (see sidebar below) You can also mail or fax a

request for an appointment to the RRC in your area using the International Test Scheduling Form from the

TOEFL® CBT Bulletin.

When to Register

In the United States, the computer-based TOEFL exam is given every day, including weekends, except major holidays However, it is not given every day at every testing location Individual locations may offer testing daily, weekly, or monthly, depending upon availability and demand

Although you may be able to get an appointment for the computer-based test as little as three days in advance, you should schedule your test six to eight weeks in advance in order to register at the center of your choice, since spaces fill quickly The busiest months are October, November, December, April, and May, so you may want to allow extra time if you are registering in season

The paper-based test is offered with far less frequency and locations are more limited At time of pub-lication, the paper-based exam is scheduled on the following days in the 2002–2003 academic year:

■ October 19, 2002

■ January 18, 2003

■ March 14, 2003

■ May 10, 2003

THE ETS ®’s TOEFL ® CBT Information Bulletin contains important information that you will need to know before

you take the computer-based exam It includes a list of test sites in all countries; institution codes, which you will need to report your scores to the colleges and universities you would like to attend; and other information you will find useful, such as sample questions, test instructions, and a list of writing topics Request a bulletin as soon

as possible if you have not already done so You can pick up or request a bulletin:

➧ from admissions or international student offices at most colleges and universities

➧ from ETS ®representative offices (listed at the end of this chapter and in the CBT Bulletin)

➧ from the TOEFL ® website, www.toefl.org

➧ by calling the ETS ® at 1-609-771-7100.

The TOEFL CBT® Information Bulletin

Keep in mind that not all of the dates are available at all testing locations If you plan to take the paper-based test, or if this is the only option you have in your country, call your Regional Registration Center (RRC) well in advance to inquire about available test dates It is best to call as soon as you realize you need to take the TOEFL exam so you can have a good sense of how much time you have to prepare for the exam

C ANCELING OR R ESCHEDULING Y OUR E XAM

If your schedule changes and you can’t make it to the test you have registered for, you can either reschedule

or cancel your test date If you reschedule, you will be charged a $40 rescheduling fee If you call to cancel at least three business days before your appointment and fill out a TOEFL exam Refund Request Form, you will receive a refund of $65 In the United States, Canada, or U.S territories, call 1-800-468-6335 to cancel or reschedule For testing elsewhere, contact your RRC The numbers for these centers are listed in the TOEFL® Bulletin and at the end of this chapter

 C o m p u t e r v s P a p e r : T h e Tw o T O E F L E x a m s

There are both positive and negative aspects of the recent changeover to computer-based testing for the TOEFL exam The good news is that with the computer-based exam, many more test dates are available, and test centers are therefore likely to be much less crowded You will also have your own headphone set for the exam, and you will be able to get an estimate of your score as soon as you complete the test If your hand-writing is difficult to read, the computer-based test will be helpful, since you will be able to type your essay You may also find the essay easier to write if you are comfortable composing directly on the computer

On the other hand, the TOEFL exam is a long one, and concentrating in front of a computer monitor for hours may be taxing If you have little experience with computers, you may feel intimidated by the com-puter-based test, even though the exam requires minimal computer skills Even if you do have computer expe-rience, you may be concerned about your performance on the computer-based test After all, it’s a new program that you will need to get used to Or perhaps you are not familiar with the English keyboard But don’t worry You don’t need to know how computers work, how to program, or even how to type You really only need to know how to use a mouse and scroll down a computer screen, and you will have the chance to practice both of these skills using the computer-based exam tutorials available at testing centers and online

at www.toefl.org You may spend as much time as you need practicing with the tutorials at the testing center

or online, and you will have the opportunity to practice again immediately before the exam The tutorials will

THE fee for both the computer-based and the paper-based TOEFL exam in the United States is $110 The fee may be higher for testing centers outside of the country Check with your RRC for exact fee information.

How Much Does the TOEFL Exam Cost?

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